


Beat the Heat (Or Just Beat Up Each Other)

by mediocrenova



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Short One Shot, seriously this could happen wherever you want to put it in the series, vague timeline, wobbaffet erasure (i'm so sorry)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:55:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mediocrenova/pseuds/mediocrenova
Summary: While living wherever you want and wandering scenic regions is nice sometimes, it poses a challenge when the weather gets particularly hot. Especially when you're these guys.
Kudos: 7





	Beat the Heat (Or Just Beat Up Each Other)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this long before I even wrote the big like... Anime/Manga/Game Alola crossover, but since that was my main priority, I forgot all about this. Well, now it's here, freshly edited and delivered straight to you! Enjoy!

Normally the shade was enough to cool off Team Rocket from the blistering heat, but today was not that kind of day. Not to mention, it wasn’t like they could just go inside some random shop and lay next to the AC machine. No place outside was cool enough! And this time, it wasn’t just them being picky. This time.

“This is a nightmare,” Jessie grumbled, squinting at the sky. The sun aggressively beat down on the pavement, the black paint soaking up all the heat. It was so strong that Jessie felt it through her shoes, so she knew for a fact that the other two were suffering. James’ boots didn’t have a heel for extra padding like hers did, and Meowth… well, he didn’t have ANY shoes. So, they had since retreated to a spot under some trees off the path.

Speaking of those the other two, they sat in the grass next to where Jessie stood under the tree. Or, maybe sitting was a loose term. They both looked ready to flop back and just melt into the ground at any moment. 

“A little heat never killed anybody,” James started. His voice was woozy and high-pitched, and Meowth glared at him.

“Whaddya think a heat stroke is, idiot!” He smacked the back of James’ head with a paw, making James rub the back of his head and return the glare.

“It even  _ sounds _ like the weather is getting to you,” Jessie said with a grimace. “You’re talking like you just got off a rollercoaster after almost falling out three times.”

“I wish I was on a rollercoaster,” he responded, standing up. “Then at least I would have some air blowing in my face.”

“Could ya buy a fan?” Meowth asked.

“Unless you have any extra money on you.”

“You don’t have anything?”

Jessie reached into the pocket on her skirt. “Uh… 500 poke.”

“That can get us... one scoop of ice cream.” James looked at the wadded cash in disappointment. “Let me see what I’ve got.” He stood and reached into one pocket and turned it out, finding nothing. He turned out the other for a 5 poke coin to bounce out.

“I was kinda expecting a bottle cap,” Meowth admitted.

“I have other hobbies, y’know!”

“What does it matter!” Jessie cried. “We still don’t have enough! Unless we can just swindle some poor idiot out of their handheld electric fan, or hell, even a paper fan would be--”

“That’s it!” Meowth beamed, jumping to his feet. “Paper fans!”

“Uh huh.” Jessie leaned in to Meowth’s small stature. “And who is going to wave those paper fans for the next few hours until the sun sets?”

Meowth kept his grin and looked side to side. The others couldn’t tell if his sweat was coming from the heat or the question. Either way, his various murmurs of “uh,” and “well,” indicated that he knew the answer, he just didn’t want to say it.

None of them were really in the mood to uncomfortably wave their arm up and down and up and down and up and down until the harsh light subsided. Meowth closed his mouth and puffed his cheeks. “So, no go on the fans huh…” suddenly, his eyebrows turned down and he shouted up at Jessie. “BUT I DON’T SEE YOUSE GUYS COMIN’ UP WITH ANY BRIGHT IDEAS!”

“What about our normal trick?” James piped up. “If we just tuck your hair under a hat, put a little lipstick on me, hide Meowth in a bag, we can go into a store and say we’re just browsing. But in reality,” he closed his eyes and made a proud stance. “We’re just mooching off their air conditioning.”

“Yeah, we got that,” Meowth deadpanned.

“Okay, so you want us to put on those big, 2 to 3 layer outfits.”

“Yes! Wait.”

“Mhmm.”

“Maybe not--”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe not three layers. Just one could cut it.”

“James,” Jessie said firmly. “We are not pulling out the trench coats in 100-something degree weather.”

“I thought you liked the trench coats.”

“It does make me look cute-- ...Listen. That won’t cut it either.”

“So, what’s YOUR idea?” Meowth crossed his arms.

Jessie’s mouth twisted. “We climb the mountain, it’s cooler up there. We can just sit on one of the hills.”

“Even closer to the SUN?!” the other two cried angrily. 

“It’s not like your plans were brilliant!”

“What if we go into a cave? No sun in there,” James suggested.

“Yeah, but the zubats. What about a lake?” The gears in Jessie’s head kept turning as Meowth and James took to sitting on the grass in front of her.

“They’ll all be crowded or infested with wild pokemon,” James shook his head. 

She paced back and forth. “It’s like you’re purposefully looking for flaws in my plans.”

“Like you weren’t,” Meowth grumbled.

Jessie shot him a brief glare before returning to thought. “There’s always the beach. You can’t really get in trouble for enjoying naturally occuring water, and there shouldn’t be too much vegetation around it for pokemon to spring out.”

“Do you have your swimsuit?”

Jessie frowned. “Well, I did, but it got this ugly tear in the side from the last time we fought those brats. It looked like a sad excuse for a dishrag after that.”

“It wasn’t THAT bad,” Meowth whispered to James.

“Nothing is going to work!!” Jessie yelled. “At this point, we should just wait for the stupid sun to leave before we do!”

Meowth and James looked at each other. They looked at Jessie. “We could,” Meowth shrugged with something resembling a smile.

She stared at them incredulously. “You’ve finally cracked.”

“No, look,” Meowth pointed ahead, behind her. “The sun is setting, Jessie.”

She turned away from the trees, and sure enough, he was right. While they argued, the afternoon blue had turned to a faded orange with specks of yellow, the once angry sun melting into the horizon. Out of all the people the world over, only these three could solve their problems by arguing for hours. “Huh. I guess it is.”

The humidity didn’t let up, but the coolness was enough for them. For the first time that day, Jessie sat down. She slid off her gloves, taking two ponytail holders from her wrist, passing one to James. It was silly how they had been too wrapped up to remember she had those. Any relief was better than none, even if it was just getting the hair off the back of their necks. 

They sat under the tree again, calmer. No words were exchanged, much less apologies for the insults thrown around, but it felt nice. In fact, Jessie wasn’t expecting an apology. She knew they’d fight again before the sun rose again tomorrow, but right now, wedged between James and Meowth, peacefully watching the hot sun set, she didn’t care. That was just how they were. All three of them.

After a good while, there was no trace of the sun left, and the orange had turned to black. Night pokemon began to emerge, letting out soft cries into the field ahead. One by one, little stars peeked out. 

“Meowth,” Jessie said, breaking the calm.

“Yeah, Jess?”

“You’re stabbing my leg with your claws.”

“AM NOT!!”

**Author's Note:**

> In Kantonese we don't say "I love you" we say "SHUT UP KNUCKLEHEAD!" and I think that's beautiful


End file.
